Staying Fit: Macros, a Healthy Diet, and Exercise Go Hand in Hand
There are several types of macronutrients also known as “food groups.” The main categories of macros are carbs, proteins, and fats. When you are trying to get fit and healthy, watching your macros is a way to meet your goals. But how do you track them?
Tracking Macros
If you want to track macros there are various ways to go about it. First, you need to decide your goal, whether it is to maintain your weight, lose weight, or gain it. The majority of the population of the US is overweight and obese. But some either have trouble gaining weight, lost it during an illness or hospitalization, or are bodybuilders looking to bulk up. Whether you’re looking to gain, lose, or maintain, macros are a key ingredient in meeting your goals.
Do I Have to Go Low Carb?
Though some diets emphasize low carbs, such as keto, most try to add good carbs to the mix. Carbs give you energy and can be obtained from eating a variety of plant foods. It would help if you had the right carbs to reap the most benefits. The best carbs are grains such as oats, starches such as tapioca, fruits, and vegetables. Carbs are a reliable source of energy. The worst carbs are overly processed, or refined, and have empty calories, such as table sugar. Quinoa, and brown rice, once thought to be miracle carbs, are inflammatory, due to their high lectin content, according to Dr. Steven Gundry MD. So avoiding grains high in lectins is key to not upsetting our guts. We need carbohydrates pre-workout, during our workout for energy, and also post-workout to replenish our glycogen stores.
What About Protein
We all need protein, especially post workout for muscle repair. Protein helps build muscle, and literally powers our brains. It allows neurons in the brain to communicate with one other via neurotransmitters, which are made from amino acids.The amount of protein you need varies with age, according to a study by Harvard, and it can even lessen cognitive decline, along with dementia. Around ages 40–50, sarcopenia begins to set in, which results in a loss of muscle mass. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for men and women. The type of protein you consume matters. Some types of protein can be inflammatory, especially if you consume too much. Athletes and older folks need more protein. Overconsuming it has some dangerous consequences. This can lead to intestinal discomfort, dehydration, nausea, fatigue, and headaches along with increasing risk for more serious health conditions, like heart disease.
How Much Fat is Too Much?
There are a number of healthy fats available, and a number of unhealthy ones, due to their inflammatory nature. Choosing the best fats, mostly has to do with knowing the benefits of each individually, along with how you plan to cook with them. Some fats like avocado oil, are great for high temperature cooking, like frying. Other healthy fats like olive oil, lose their health benefits when heated. Coconut oil and MCT oils are very different even though the source is the same, coconut. Coconut oil is for cooking, and MCT oil is a supplement. MCT’s are unique since they signal the body to let go of stored fats, and lose weight. People on KETO eat a lot of fat. That is not necessarily good for macros on more balanced diets.
Setting Goals
So now you have a goal in mind for tracking macros, but where do you start? Whether it’s weight loss, gaining muscle, or just maintaining what you worked so hard to obtain, having a grasp of macros can get you there. If you’re working with a nutritionist or registered dietician to meet your goals, they will usually begin by calculating your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which varies based on your age, weight, height, gender, and activity level. You can also use an online calculator to do it yourself.
Micronutrients Matter Too
You are tracking your macros like a pro, but what about micronutrients? These are the vitamins essential for energy and immune system health, such as calcium, magnesium, b vitamins, vitamin d, iron, and zinc. Minerals are important too, for muscle contraction, hydration, and oxygen transport. You can obtain them from eating a diet high in a variety of plants such as leafy greens, nuts, and seeds.
Get the App
It’s not tough as it used to be to track macros with the many health apps available for download. Apps like My Fitness Pal, My Macros, Cronometer, and Lifesum, make it easy. If you’re looking for a free app, them Cronometer is the way to go, with it’s handy barcode scanner.
